Lesson talking about mass-media

MATCHING INFORMATION
5 Scan each paragraph and find the following information.
Paragraph A: something a journalist traditionally possessed
Paragraph B: the name of a Korean news site
Paragraph C: two famous media outlets
Paragraph D: the year in which half of the news may be produced by amateurs
Paragraph E: four types of obstacles to participation in society
Paragraph F: two types of criminals
Paragraph G: something audiences need to sharpen or improve

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  This activity asks you to match a piece of information to the paragraph that contains it. The information could be specific details, examples, descriptions, reasons and explanations, or a conclusion of the ideas. You may not need to use all of the paragraphs and someparagraphs might match more than one piece of information. The information in the paragraphs will be paraphrased differently in the corresponding question.
  

SELF-STUDY TASKS
READ THE PASSAGE AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
REALITY TV
A
Authentic TV accounts for 67% of TV programmes watched by Americans. A big amount of programme types come under the sign 'Reality TV', some of them more intellectual than others. There are those which follow the pattern of the earliest reality shows, as Big Brother, where a group of people have to live in a house, their every move being under the camera. Then there are the ambitious shows where ordinary people compete in abilities and they sing, cook, dive, ice-skate or work-related skills like sales and entrepreneurship. Another sub-group is the self-or home improvement/makeover type of show, such as What Not to Wear, The Biggest Loser or Hoarders. Some of the most well-known reality TV shows are those of the social experiment sub-genre, such as The World's Strictest Parents, where misbehaving teens are sent to live in a less liberal family, usually in a distant country. Perhaps the most educational type which comes under the reality TV heading are the programmes that follow someone with an interesting or useful job doing their ordinary day-to-day work. This is the one type of reality TV show most parents encourage their children to watch, as they can learn about the different professions such as police officers, paramedics, doctors, pilots and teachers.
B
So how can we account for the vast popularity of reality TV? One reason it has shown favour with viewers is that for most ordinary people it is their best hope of getting at least a degree of fame or notoriety. A small minority might even become really recognized and be rewarded with a TV show of their own. A survey of 239 people revealed that, opposing to common belief, most reality TV followers were not less sociable or less wise than others. It was thought that the main aim of watching such shows was to be able to discuss them with friendsand colleagues. Although, that has always been one of the motives people watch any kind of TV programme. What is different about reality TV aficionados is that they aim a rise in status and strongly gain prestige. Reality TV has produced 'stars' with little or no actual talent in conventional terms. Although they can't sing, dance or act, the force of their personality has shot them to stardom through an appearance on a TV show. From there, many have launched careers as 'TV personalities' and achieved the wealth and fame they craved. It is no wonder, then, that so many hope to follow their example.
C
One controversial point about reality Tvis that the name itselfis a misnomer. It is not actually ‘real’.While producers do not get as far as having notes, they edit footage in such a way as to distort what really happened. Activities are twisted to create an illusion of conflict or to shape a more interesting storyline. Members are told to adapt their own personalities to suit the requirements of the show. For example, a woman with a pleasant and gentle personality was told to 'act mean' or be ejected from the show. The same way, though viewers assume that either judges or the voting public have the power to liquidate participants, in fact the producers retain the decision-making power. If a candidate in a singing competition has been voted off by the public, he or she may be kept on for amusement value, not for the quality of his or her singing One producer admitted that a '24-hour bathroom makeover" in fact had a crew working on it behind the scenes for at least two weeks.
D
Apart from the illusions of reality, what other criticisms are made of reality TV? Author Mark Andrejevic wrote in the New York Times in 2012 that reality TV in post 9/11 society represents the 'normalisation of surveillance'. In all our favourite TV shows, the cameras are on the participants 24 hours a day. It therefore doesn't seem so strange when our own activities are caught on CCTV as we move around our cities and workplaces.Another accusation levied at some of these shows is that they glamorise vulgarity and consumerism. An American show called Toddlers and Tiaras, for instance, shows little girls wearing up in lean costumes and make-up to take part in beauty pageants. Their parents spend thousands of dollars to dress their tiny children, some barely old enough to walk, in front of judges, who evaluate their beauty, clothes and modelling skills. The children featured in this and the same shows are growing up to focus only on winning and many are totally unable to accept defeat. Many reality TV shows feature a 'confessional', where competitors are encouraged to back-stab and report on their fellow contestants. Unethical behaviour is valued and rewarded because it boosts viewing figures. The plethora of shows encouraging us to change our weight, wardrobe, job, house and car creates generations of discontented individuals who feel themselves inadequate with who they are and what they have.
E
To make a situation worse, the experience of being on reality TV is not what it looks like. These shows are so well-known with the television companies because they are so cheap to produce. The producers' aim is to get as much talent as possible for as low a price as possible. While appearing on a reality show, you can expect your expenses to be paid, but you will probably only receive $20 or $30 a day. What is more, you can expect every part of your background and family to be researched in detail. Anything you would prefer to remain hidden will inevitably come out. And the man who becomes the reality star will not be 'you". It will be a character created by the producers who happens to have your face. So, if you are longing for your 15 minutes of fame, be aware of the risks of achieving it through reality TV.